Asus ROG Ally X20 Hits $1,300: Is the OLED Worth It?

Asus opens preorders for the ROG Ally X20 at a hefty $1,300, featuring an OLED screen and upgraded internals. Is it worth the price?

Remember when handheld gaming PCs were supposed to be affordable? Well, Asus just dropped a new model that might make you do a double take. The ROG Ally X20 is now up for preorder, and it's asking a whopping $1,300—that's $300 more than the already pricey ROG Ally X. But hey, it comes with a shiny OLED screen, so maybe that justifies the cost?

The big selling point here is the display. The X20 sports a 7.4-inch 1080p OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR support. That's a serious upgrade from the standard Ally's LCD, and for gamers who care about visuals, it could be a game-changer. Plus, the translucent plastic shell lets you peek at the guts inside, which is a neat touch for tech enthusiasts.

Under the hood, the X20 packs some serious hardware. You're getting an 80Wh battery (up from the Ally X's 80Wh? Actually, it's the same, but still hefty), 1TB of storage, 24GB of DDR5 RAM, and Wi-Fi 6. Asus also redesigned the internal layout to improve airflow and thermal efficiency, which is crucial since these devices can get toasty during intense gaming sessions. The D-pad has been improved, and the analog sticks now use TMR magnetic induction technology for better precision.

Performance-wise, it's still rocking the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, so you can expect smooth gameplay on modern titles. But here's the catch: that price tag. If you've got $2,500 burning a hole in your pocket, you can grab a bundle that includes the X20, a pair of 240Hz ROG XReal X1 glasses, a Dbrand Killswitch case, and a Pelican storage case. That's... a lot of dough.

Why the price hike? It's not just Asus being greedy. The global memory shortage, driven by AI demand, has sent component costs soaring. Other handheld makers are feeling the pinch too—AyaNeo had to suspend preorders for its Next 2 earlier this year due to rising costs. So, while $1,300 is steep, it's partly a sign of the times.

But here's the silver lining: if you're not ready to splurge, the original ROG Ally X (still $1,000) and the base Ally (around $600) haven't seen price increases—yet. Both are solid options for playing PC and Xbox games on the go, and recent software updates have smoothed out their early quirks. The Xbox app works great for launching games from Microsoft's store, Steam, and more.

So, is the OLED screen worth the extra $300? If you're a display snob and want the best visuals possible, maybe. But for most of us, the Ally X or even the base model might be the smarter buy. What do you think? Will you be shelling out for the X20, or are you sticking with the cheaper options?